Ribbons, Beds, and Handcuffing Muggles
by mktoddsparky
Summary: When Ginny wakes up hungover and handcuffed to a Mattressdale's bed next to Draco Malfoy the first thought that pops up in her mind is this: I've been kidnapped by Muggles. Written for a DG Forum Challenge.


**Red Ribbons, Beds, and Hand-cuffing Muggles;**

_**Hello everyone. So, this is for a contest. Specifics are at the end, along with a list of British terms I used in here (terms followed by *.)**_

_**Please enjoy :D**_

.o.

"Remind me again why I have to help promote the Muggle's new Sleep-Away bed?" Ginny asked her employer huffily.

Harry Potter forced back a grimace as his employee stepped closer, pressing her freckled face even closer to his. It took several breaths (you're a man, Potter, and she's just a girl; show her what her rightful place is...and hope she doesn't chop off your - certain production organs) and an inward pep talk (because everyone loves inner confliction) before he felt composed. "Miss Weasley, please take a step back."

"Don't 'Miss Weasley' me," Ginny grumbled before stepping to the other side of his desk. "You act like we barely know each other, let alone survived six bloody years of marriage."

"And might I remind you that we could have saved our marraige had it not been for your desire to nag me and refute everything I said in that divvy* manner of yours," Harry bellowed, rubbing a hand against his forehead in an effort to calm himself down.

Ginny swallowed, not needing a reminder of the past, "Look, I didn't come in here to get in an argument with you over who caused the rift in our marraige."

He paused, "Very well; back to the matter at hand." Seating himself on his leather chair Harry linked his fingers together over his crossed legs.

"So, remind me again -" Ginny began.

"The muggles decided that since you were the one who exposed magic to society," Harry began, earning a disgruntled sniff from the red-head, "that you should be the one to cut the ribbon opening their mattress sale."

"Technically I didn't expose magic -" Ginny started again.

"You decided to start a duel with Malfoy in the middle of one of the most populated areas of town; how is it technically not your fault?" Harry asked her, his face a stony mask.

"Technically not everyone saw -"

"The people at the mattress store saw and they're threatening to expose us if you don't get your arse over there tonight," Harry cut her off for the third time. "Can you ever imagine the consequences of -"

"Will you shut your mouth and let me talk for once?" Ginny cried. "_Merlin!_"

Harry tossed out a glare that clearly said he wasn't pleased before leaning back in his seat, "Explain if you must, but don't think I'll understand." He caught a glimpse of hurt in her eyes that nearly sent him backtracking. It wasn't that he liked provoking Ginny; in fact, the first years of their marraige had been peaceful. It seemed that she just brought out the worst in him now and likewise from her position.

Ginny brushed back several unruly strands of ginger hair before saying, "Malfoy was the one who provoked me right outside the mattress store. I was just on my way to a little muffin shop on the corner to get myself a sweet when he appeared and started taunting me about you and my worthless bloodline. I ignored him and was about to proceed when he fired a spell at me that just barely missed."

"And of course you had to retaliate," Harry remarked dryly.

Ginny crossed her arms, "Don't even use that tactic on me, Potter." The furious way in which she spat his last name sent Harry reeling. "You and Malfoy got into some pretty huge fights back in the day...numpties*, the both of you."

Harry sighed wearily, "Look, just cease acting like a prat* and make sure you're over at Mattressdales by seven pm."

"Mattressdales...really?" Ginny quirked an eyebrow.

Shaking his head, Harry shooed her off, "Muggles never have been known for their creativity."

With a last look in his direction, Ginny left his office, her auburn eyes twinkling with a mixture of bruised dignity, regret and curiosity.

Harry shuffled across his office, making his way over to the window overlooking the Quidditch pitch. Even though he worked with Muggle Relations he still always kept a part of him imagining what if's involving himself and a Nimbus 2000. This specific Quidditch pitch held a special place in his heart, however. Not only did it remind him of the field at Hogwarts but this was also the very field where he had chased Ginny around on a broomstick a year after graduation and, after catching her, pulled out a diamond ring from his coat pocket and offered it up for her inspection.

A sigh slipped Harry's lips at the thought of Ginny. In all honesty he wasn't quite sure what had gone wrong in their marraige, what had made the luster fade from Ginny's once vibrant, caramel eyes. Perhaps it was his tendency to stay and work late; maybe it was her desire to accomplish bigger and better things in life. And possibly it was that the day Ginny tried to leave the only thing he'd asked her was why she insisted on lugging her huge trunks around the house when she could have used magic to shrink them.

Either way, now, Ginny seemed determined to retain a professional acquaintance between them and nothing else. Now all she talked about was what a prat Malfoy was and how she wished a supernatural force would wipe the whole Malfoy line from the face of the Earth - Ginny would insist there was nothing there except violent disgust but now even the thought of Draco Malfoy sent Harry's hackles rising.

"I did love you. Do you know that, Ginny?" Harry mumbled absentmindedly into the silence. It was only the bleeping from his laptop signifying a fax that tore him away from his thoughts.

.o.

At exactly 6:50pm Ginny apparated from her flat to across the street from Mattressdales, her arms clinging self-consciously to the waist of her outfit. Normally she would have gone to something like this in Wizard formal robes but since she was attempting to show that she _wasn't_ magical she'd tossed the robes to the corner of her room. Now she wore a clingy, emerald dress that brought out the fire in her ginger hair and the hints of green in her auburn eyes.

As she approached the front of the store she could see a small crowd gathering around the giant, crimson ribbon that would signify the opening of Mattressdale's sale.

"There's our star!" Burny, one of the co-owners of the store called out as she got closer, her flats slapping the ground. She wasn't stupid enough to walk around in three inch heels, like the saleswoman had advised back at the department store she'd gotten the dress from.

"Hullo," Ginny answered politely, forcing a smile. "Where would you like me to stand?"

"Right over here," Burny answered, steering Ginny over to a shadow-laced corner to the right of the ribbon. "We'll have you cut this 'ere beauty at seven sharp." He motioned towards the ribbon and with that walked away back to his soon-to-be-customers.

Ginny shifted her stance, trying to make herself more comfortable and failing miserably. A cool breeze was beginning to set in and with it little flakes of frost.

"Well, well; isn't it the youngest blood traitor," a familiar voice sneered. "Although you could resemble a drowned rat right about now."

Out of anyone she could have run into now, it had to be him.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ginny hissed through gritted teeth.

"Do you find it that hard to believe that I missed your charming presence?" He asked, a smirk curling on his lips.

She snorted inelegantly, "Extremely. I'm surprised you're even here with Burny and Elliot's threat to rip off your arse at the nearest opportunity still so fresh."

Draco paled slightly and quickly hid his reaction, "Above the law, Weasley."

"How are you -" Ginny paused. "Right - your father's so bloody weathly you can dig your way out of any situation."

"Unlike some blood traitors I know," he hinted not-so-subtly. "In any case, why are you here? I'd have thought you'd have gone into anaphylaxis shock with the thought of the bobbies* on your tail due to your balls-up*."

Ginny glared up at him, resenting the fact that he was taller than her, "Burny and Elliot invited me to cut the ribbon for their sale this evening. And if anyone's in danger of being thrown in the gaol* it's _you_."

Malfoy chuckled under his breath, "If you weren't such a gormless* gob-shite* then this would be considered amusing."

She growled, "Self-serving git."

He glanced down at her dismissively, "Bint."

Ginny broke off, hissing to herself, just as Elliot wandered over.

Draco bent slightly to mutter in her ear, "Quit your chuntering* and act as elegant as someone of _your stature _can." There was a hidden barb in there Ginny chose not to argue about, instead plastering a smile onto her lips.

"'Ello, you two," Elliot greeted, his smile faltering slightly as he recognized Draco. "Are you cuttin' the ribbon too?"

"No, he's not," Ginny broke in before Malfoy could say a word, her face bright and overly cheery. "He just stopped by for a brief chin-wag*. Oh Elliot, you should have heard the things he was telling me - 'specially bout how much of a chinless wonder* he is back at home." She let out a very un-Ginnyish giggle and held back more laughter at the expression on Malfoy's face.

Malfoy looked almost ready to burst but he managed to slide an apologetic smirk onto his face, "I'm afraid I must take leave of you."

Elliot grimaced, "Oh, we can't have you bein' a sleepin' partner*. Come wit' me and I'll set you up by the West gate to greet 'em other customers." He gave a tug on Draco's hand-stitched, velvet coat.

Ginny covered her mouth with her hand to keep from chuckling at Malfoy's fate, "That's a brilliant idea, Elliot!" She gave Malfoy a shove in the back towards the co-owner and pretended not to see the glare the former sent her way.

Just seconds later Burny slipped by her side, "Come wit' me, darlin'. I've got t' inform you 'bout the specifics for ribbon cutting."

"Specifics for ribbon cutting?" Ginny repeated, following him around the corner. "Is there seriously a procedure f-"

A sharp pain erupted on the back of her head and everything went black.

.o.

There was bright light flooding in from somewhere and it made her head pound.

"Turn off the bloody light!" Ginny cried, but it didn't sound much different than the language of gobble-de-gook. With a sigh, the ginger sat up and reached her hand out towards the source of the light -

- only to figure out she couldn't move her hands.

Ginny's eyes flashed open and, ignoring the throbbing ache in her head, she looked down at the handcuffs chaining her wrists behind her back. They seemed to be connected to some kind of board with a round knob on top...a headboard, to be precise. She was sitting on one of Mattressdale's beds - their shiny gold logo flashed from the side of the wooden frame - and her hands were handcuffed to the headboard.

"Bugger*!" She cried, huffing angrily. "I've been kidnapped by Muggles." It sounded so pathetic, creeping out of her mouth in such a context.

A sigh slipped from Ginny's mouth and she realized just how parched she was. "At least things can't get any worse," she told herself morosely.

And then, irony of all ironies, a sleepy yawn sounded to her left. _She wasn't alone. _

Pale fingers rattled in handcuffs on the other side of the bed and a familiar head of blond hair poked up. Tense silver eyes probed their surroundings.

"You've gotten to be kidding me!" Ginny nearly choked as Draco turned to look at her.

Draco's eyes widened slightly and Ginny knew that he must be experiencing similar feelings to hers. "Bloody hell," he cursed.

"My sentiments exactly," she responded, yanking on the handcuffs trapping her movement, only to sigh in frustration when the chains wouldn't budge. "We've been kidnapped by the owners of a Muggle store named Mattressdales." Now it sounded even more pathetic.

"They just had to trap me in here with a Weasley," Draco muttered angrily, his eyes still shifting around the room.

Anger flashed through Ginny, "We're trapped and that's all you're worried about?"

Malfoy managed a shrug, "My father will find me within hours. Besides, I'd rather rot in here with Potter than a blood traitor like you."

"You are unbelievable," she told him furiously, wishing she could hex him. "I don't know what Astoria sees in you."

"Jealous, Weasley?" Malfoy drawled, patting his designer slacks the best he could. "Where is my wand? I have a tracking device on there that my father can connect to."

A brief glance towards the door of the room gave Ginny her answer, "They took our wands and placed them over there."

Draco let out a strained breath, "Well, what are you waiting for? Use a wandless Summoning Charm and get us out of here!"

"I never really got the hang of wandless magic," Ginny informed the arrogant blond. "Besides, you should have mastered wandless magic way before me."

There was silence for a moment.

"You can't do it either, can you?" Ginny guessed, a tiny smile playing on her face. "The all knowing Draco Malfoy finally admits to having flaws, what a discovery. I'm sure the Wizard Council would just _love_ to hear that."

Malfoy shook his head, the gray in his eyes solidifying, "Right, you've got Harry Saint Potter on the Council to tell all your little secrets to, now don't you?"

Ginny flinched at the bite in his tone, "Actually, I divorced Harry six months ago and I don't plan on running back to him now." There was bitterness in her tone she hadn't meant to convey.

"What did the Chosen One do to upset you?" Draco wondered, the raising of his left eyebrow the only indication of his curiosity. "Did he jump into another girl's knickers?"

She shook her head violently, "Harry would never do that."

"Then what?" Malfoy pressed.

Ginny snapped, "I don't think it's any of your business, Malfoy! What are you, my closest confident now?" Sarcasm laced her tone.

He rolled his eyes, "I have no desire to be your BFF, thanks. I just thought that, since we're stuck in here, we might decide to explore exactly why we hate each other."

"He has a wise moment," she teased flatly. "And what does asking me about my divorce with Harry have to do with that?"

Malfoy shrugged again, "I suppose I just capitalized on the fact you wanted to talk about it."

Before she could answer him the door to the room opened and in came a man Ginny didn't recognize, carrying a tray with two cups on it. Without a word the man set it down between them, unlocked their hands and then left.

"Blimey, I forgot how dry my epiglottis was," Draco exclaimed in a way that still made it look dignified, the git.

Ginny only gave him a questioning stare.

"The epiglottis is the small piece of flesh at the back of your throat that closes your windpipe when you swallow food," he explained as if it were a huge dis-service on his part.

Her lips wobbled, fighting not to break into a smirk, "I never thought you of all people would know a cacky* fact like that."

If Draco were from any normal bloodline he would have rolled his eyes - but, being a Malfoy, he contented himself with a slight glare in her direction, "Must you be so ruddy annoying?"

Ginny only patted his shoulder, "Must you be so bloody uptight? If you think about it we're stuck in practically the same situation."

Malfoy didn't give her an answer, only reaching for one of the glasses.

"You know they probably spiked that, right?" Ginny asked him, wondering how he could possibly be stupid enough to trust the Muggles' "water."

He snuck a look at her and said in an irritatingly sarcastic tone, "Does it look like I care?"

Ginny rolled her eyes - having nothing against such a display - and grabbed the other glass, taking a sip. Yes, definitely spiked. "We're making a huge clanger*."

.o.

Twenty minutes and six drinks later both of the prisoners were reeling with alcohol.

"A toast, to being tricked by bloody Muggles," Draco suggested, clinking their glasses together before taking another sip of his drink. "These things are getting more and more delicious."

Ginny giggled, "You said it, mister." Downing the rest of her glass she set it down on the bed. "Helloooo! Can we get two more drinks in here?"

"You just answered my prayers," Malfoy told her, slinging an arm around her shoulders as the mysterious man brought in fresh drinks. "You know, I don't know why we ever hated each other. You're, like, my best friend in the whooole, wiiiide world." He slurred.

"Yeah-huh," she agreed, pressing a kiss against his pale cheek. "Draco, did you know you smell like Quidditch pitches and caramel apples?"

His hooded eyes look at her, the silver of his irises diluted and vulnerable, "Do I taste like it too?"

They both stared at each other for a second and then Ginny leapt forward - having no history of patience - and crashed her lips on his. After several moments of sucking on his lower lip and twining her tongue with his, the ginger broke away, her cheeks flushed.

"Well?" Draco wondered, taking a hearty sip of his drink, laughter bubbling in the air. "Do I taste like Quidditch pit...plaaaces and car-meeel apples?"

She pondered it for a moment, "I thiiiink so, but I forget. Let me check again." And with that she kissed him once more, this time fiercer than the last.

When they broke apart Ginny nodded, "Yessss...you do." And with that her whole body slumped onto his and they burst out laughing, not aware that they'd pressed the Call button on her telly*. "Can yoooou believe that Muggles from Mattressdales kidnapped us?"

"Oh, bugger," Draco commented with a hiccup.

Little did they know that two very horrified people were listening on the other end of the telly.

.o.

A little while later Ginny was awakened by the sound of someone banging on a door and her eyes flashed open. She instantly wished they hadn't. Pain throbbed behind her eyelids, pounding into her skull and making her feel as if someone was taking a hammer to her head.

"When I find out who did this..." A familiar voice growled. Very familiar, in fact.

"Ron; calm yourself," another voice chastised. "It's not like wizards took them...whoever the second party is."

A moment later the hinges to the door snapped and in walked none other than her brother and Harry Potter, their wands trained carefully on the bed.

"Whatsgoin'on?" Malfoy groaned from underneath Ginny and inwardly she smacked a hand against her forehead.

"BLOODY HELL!" Ron cried, pointing his wand at Draco. "You get yourself kidnapped and decide to _shag the ferret?_"

"Ron," Ginny mumbled, each word sending a shooting pain throughout her whole body, "don't be ridiculous. Clearly I'm not down to my knickers."

Harry's face flushed at the mention of her knickers and Ginny shot him a glower, "Blimey, Gin. What the hell happened?"

Ginny sat up a little bit, brushing the sleep from her eyes, "I should be the one asking you both how you found us."

Ron stepped closer, crossing his arms, "You called us to give us a little preview of your snogging session with Malfoy, that's how!"

Draco had composed himself by then, "I don't appreciate being referred to in the third person, Weasley, _Potter_."

"Does it look like I care, Malfoy?" Ron demanded, stepping invasively close to the chained pair.

"Well, if we're arguing technicalities..." Draco began, a smirk already curling on his lips.

"Look, can we just get out of here?" Ginny yelled and all three males froze at her words. "I've got a bloody headache and I'm chained to a bed. Do I look happy?"

None of them replied.

"Well?" She shrieked and finally they all mumbled something along the lines of an apology.

Harry moved to fire a spell but Ron waved him off, "I've got this." Furrowing his brow, the elder Weasley muttered "_Confringo" _and jumped back as fires erupted on the top of the headboard.

"Really, Ronald?" Ginny asked as Harry sent a jet of water at the licking flames, wishing she could punch her incompetant brother in the arm. "Sometimes I wonder if you retained anything from your Hogwarts days."

"I wonder the same thing," Draco mock-whispered.

Harry, after shoving Ron in the arm, pointed his wand at Ginny's shackles and said firmly, "_Diffindo_." With a snap the chains broke, leaving her limbs free to move.

Watching as Harry performed the same spell on Draco's chains, Ginny rubbed the skin where the chains had rubbed her flesh raw, wincing as she did so, "Let's just Apparate home before I go crazy from claustrophobia."

Ron looked around the room in a puzzled manner, "But this room is huge."

Ginny only responded with a sigh of defeat before linking hands with her brother and Malfoy, leaving Harry to take Ron's hand in an awkward manner. And then, with a pop, they were gone.

.o.

Ginny would remember the following conversations for the rest of her life.

.o.

"We have to talk," Malfoy said as he spotted her fingering one of the pictures framed over her fireplace.

"Do we?" She didn't face him but the words caught in her throat. _We were drunk, so it meant nothing. _She kept those words to herself, though, for a reason she couldn't identify.

Draco said nothing for a long moment - she could hear him stroking his wand and the sound sent chills racing up and down her spine. "I suppose not."

Her fingers tightened around the picture of her and her deceased brother, Fred, at his words. "Go home to Astoria, Draco." The words came, quiet and sad. Little did she know Astoria had been out of the picture for two years, a victim of lung cancer not even magic could cure.

More silence. She heard rustling noises and assumed he'd left the room and a choked sigh left her lips, accompanied by trembling lips. Suddenly warm fingers brushed her wrist and he said softly, "Goodbye, We - Ginny." It was the first time he'd said her real name and that's when she knew he was gone.

Tears fell, painting a sodden picture across her cheeks.

.o.

"Do you love him?" Harry asked from behind her a few minutes later. Her cheeks were now dry but the memories of the teardrops remained.

She met his gaze briefly, "I don't know." It was the truth - this was the only time she and Draco had actually had a decent conversation and now he was ripped away from her again.

Silence cloaked them. "Is he the reason you left me?" Harry wondered in a little above a whisper.

Silence - longer now, as fleeting memories scurried across her thoughts like ants. "I don't know," she said finally, turning to press her lips against his cool cheek. "I don't know." _I do - no, I don't, can't. _"I don't know."

.o.

**fin**

.o.

**_So, that turned out more depressing than I imagined, but I got some humor in there, too. _**

**_Challenge:_**

**|Prompt: **Ginny wakes to find Draco lying in her bed next to her... (Go on from there loves. Try not to make anything too incredibly perverse.)

**|Pairing:** ...Honestly? D/G of course!

**|Word Count:** Flexible. Try to keep it under 10,000 words though.

**|Rating: **I don't see how this prompt could be anything lower than T...

**|No no's: **Harry/Hermione, or any Draco/Anyone but Ginny. OC characters...NO OC characters. :)

**|Bonus Points: **If Ginny and Draco are drunk, if Ron and/or Harry catches them in bed together, or if you can make the story rating lower than T and it still interesting enough.

**|Deadline:** January 31, 2011 :)

***Terms: **

**Divvy - (slang) a fool or idiot; adjective form, ****divvy**, foolish or idiotic.

**Numpty - (possibly originally Scottish, now widespread) a stupid person.**

**Bobbies - police.**

**Balls-up - ****(vulgar) error, mistake.**

**Gaol - A prison, mostly historical.**

**Gormless - lacking in intelligence; with a vacant expression.**

**Gob-shite - (vulgar)(insult) slang term for a person who is being mouthy about something or someone.**

**Chunter - to mutter, to grumble, to talk continuously.**

**Chin-wag - (slang) chat.**

**Chinless Wonder - an English man from a high social class, who thinks he is intelligent and important, but who other people think is weak and stupid.**

**Sleeping Partner - a partner in business, often an investor, who is not visibly involved in running the enterprise.**

**Clanger - a big mistake, blunder.**

**Telly - Telephone.**


End file.
